Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Prime Minister?

Total

Vote Lab

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

Vote Other

Sep 2013

Mar 2014

June 2014

Dec 2014

Jan 2015

Feb 2015

Mar 2015

Total approve

33%

9%

75%

4%

15%

41%

40%

35%

32%

37%

29%

31%

Total dis-approve

58%

88%

18%

89%

76%

36%

47%

58%

55%

53%

62%

56%

Strongly approve

7%

1%

17%

1%

2%

14%

11%

10%

8%

9%

7%

7%

Approve

26%

8%

58%

3%

13%

27%

29%

25%

24%

28%

22%

24%

Dis-approve

28%

34%

16%

31%

44%

13%

20%

18%

22%

23%

26%

22%

Strongly dis-approve

30%

54%

2%

58%

32%

23%

27%

40%

33%

30%

36%

34%

Don’t know

9%

3%

7%

7%

9%

23%

12%

7%

12%

10%

9%

12%

58% of respondents disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Prime Minister – up 2% since the last time this question was asked in March – and 33% approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing (up 2%). This represents no change in his net rating of -25.

Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten?

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

Vote Other

22 Oct 2013

12 Nov

14 Jan 2014

11 Feb

8 April

Tony Abbott

36%

4%

81%

4%

23%

41%

42%

42%

40%

42%

Bill Shorten

37%

74%

3%

60%

35%

22%

27%

31%

30%

32%

Don’t know

28%

22%

16%

36%

42%

37%

31%

27%

31%

26%

37% of Australians believe Bill Shorten would make a better Prime Minister than Tony Abbott. This is just 1% more than selected Tony Abbott (36%).

28% don’t know who would make a better Prime Minister.

Since this question was last asked in April 2014, Tony Abbott has dropped -6% as preferred Prime Minister (down from 42%) and Bill Shorten has gained +5% (up from 32%).

Males (38%) were slightly more likely than females (34%) to select Tony Abbott. There was no difference between the genders in their preference from Bill Shorten, with 37% of males and 36% of females selecting him. Females (30%) were more likely than males (25%) to select ‘don’t know’.

Those aged 55+ (51%) were more likely than those aged under 30 (26%) or 30-55 (32%) to select Tony Abbott.

Those aged 30-55 (42%) were more likely than those aged under 30 (31%) or 55+ 30%) to select Bill Shorten. A very large number of those aged under 30 selected don’t know (44%).

Those in NSW (42%) were far more likely than those in QLD (28%) or VIC (34%) to select Tony Abbott.

Those in QLD (44%) were more likely to select Bill Shorten (just 34% of those in NSW and 35% of those in VIC selected Bill Shorten).

Compared to Bill Shorten, Tony Abbott is much more likely to be considered arrogant (+18), narrow minded (+17), intolerant (+15), aggressive (+14), out of touch with ordinary people (+12) and more honest than most politicians (+11).

Bill Shorten is regarded by more slightly respondents to be intelligent (-4).

Note that Bill Shorten’s ratings are mostly lower than those of Tony Abbott on both positive and negative attributes – presumably because he is less well known.